What should I do today? I checked out at 11am. I didn’t have to be to the train station until 530pm. I had seen enough of Hanoi. And I didn’t feel like walking around and getting sweaty. I walked over to the big central lake in the Old Quarter, called Hoan Kiem Lake. I sat down by myself on the left side of a bench, about five feet wide. I intended to read and write. But little did I know, I would meet five Vietnamese people.
The first one approached me within a few minutes of sitting down. He carried a black satchel full of books. He asked if I wanted to buy one. I said no. He paused and pondered for a second. Then he asked me, where was I from?
We exchanged brief histories of ourselves. He, 27, was from a poor village tribe in the north and was going to college now in Hanoi. He was killing time while his motorbike got changed from the color red to blue.
He felt comfortable about 10 minutes into our talk and sat down next to me. He told me all about Vietnamese history. I listened intently. Vietnam celebrates its 1000th year anniversary next year. They are already counting it down on an electronic billboard near the lake.
He told me the story of Hoan Kiem Lake. Back in the 12th century, the Vietnamese were battling the Chinese. A great golden turtle from the lake gave the Vietnamese leader a special sword. The leader went out and defeated the Chinese. Then the leader returned to the lake, thanked the turtle, and returned the sword. Hence the lake was named Hoan Kiem. Hoan means “return” in the Vietnamese language and Kiem means “sword.” This story is acted out as one of the vignettes in the Water Puppet Theatre–a stone’s throw from the lake.
I said I was hungry. It was almost 1230 now. He took me to his favorite lunch place near the lake. He ordered a lot of food for me. I couldn’t even eat it all. It was simple food, but a variety of sorts, including frog meat. He did not eat anything; he said he already had.
The bill turned out to be $11. I was quietly upset. Surely, the food did not cost that much. Maybe it was a scam and he would come to collect his share of the money later. I don’t know. I have never paid close to $11 for restaurant food, much less hole-in-the-wall food like this was.
We walked back to the lake. We sat down on a ledge of a grassy area. He bought me and himself iced teas. But it was too little too late. I was already scarred from lunch. When we finished, he asked if I wanted to buy a postcard, and I said no. Then he said goodbye and walked around the area.
Another guy sat down on the ledge near me about five minutes later. There was about 3 feet and an empty Coke can between us. I sat there quietly people-watching. A few minutes later, he moved the Coke can and moved closer. He sparked a conversation with me. Where was I from, he asked.
And we exchanged histories about ourselves. He, 19, was also in college, although it seems he came from a wealthier family than the first guy. He told me more about Vietnamese history. He told me about the war. I listened.
However, he was sitting too close for my comfort–like right next to me. I had read that other cultures have different ideas of personal space, but this was distracting. Finally, I got up and said in America, we give each other 3 feet. I put my foot on the ledge, and took two steps forward–heel-to-toe. He got the idea. He told me that it is a sign of dislike in Vietnam to sit that far away.
Then two of his college buddies walked passed. He welcomed them over. And that time he said goodbye to us all and reminded them to sit three feet away 
We all laughed.
One buddy sat down and the other stood in front of me. They both asked about where I was from and such. We all exchanged histories. They were 19 and going to college. The guy sitting down next to me was into basketball. He loves Kobe Bryant. He asked me what I thought about the upcoming Lakers and Houston playoff matchup. I said that Yao Ming (Houston Rockets player) has a history of injuries. I said that I wouldn’t be surprised if he got injured and made it easy for the Lakers.
The one standing up was more serious. He said he was studying biotechnology and wanted to go to MIT. I felt like he just wanted to practice English with me, whereas the one sitting down next to me wanted to have a conversation.
By this time it was 330pm. Time flew by. I walked away to the other side of the lake. I got a boba tea and an ice cream cone. I sat down and ate my ice cream. Another guy approached me. He was a computer science major. I contributed a lot to this discussion. We had a good talk about computers, programming, technology, and Google.
By the way, I heard a few of the students today refer to Google as “the Google.” They mention it with a glisten in their eyes. They praise it. They love it. It amazes them.
I pondered: What does the future hold for Google and its vice grip on the world?
